We were surprised to find out that until Vilmos Kondor wrote his book Budapest Noir in 2008, the crime fiction genre was unknown in the country. As you may have guessed, we like to take fictional trips overseas now and again here at Crime Fiction Lover, and the good news is that Harper Paperback are releasing Budapest Noir in English at the end of January – both in the UK and in the United States.

The book follows investigations carried out by the crime journalist Zsigmond Gordon in the 1930s. The shadow of Nazi Germany is casting its darkness across Hungary, the prime minister has just died while receiving medical treatment in Germany, and Zsigmond is getting drawn into the intrigue. When a Jewish prostitute is found dead in Nagy Diófa Street he feels compelled not to just write about crime anymore, but to investigate it. Of course, there are forces out to prevent him discovering the truth, in a country sliding towards Fascism.

Our reviewer Spriteby has been sent a copy of the book and has found it an intriguing read so far. You’ll be able to read her review when the book is released on 31 January. It’s coming to the US and UK in both Kindle and paperback formats, and you can pre-order below. To whet your appetite, you can read the first two chapters of Budapest Noir here. Let us know what you think.